Suresh Raina retires: Fans ask why is MS Dhoni's name missing from thank you note

Suresh Raina, a former Indian batter, announced his retirement from all cricket forms on Tuesday, making him eligible to play in international T20 tournaments. 

On August 15, 2020, the 35-year-old retired from international cricket, following former captain MS Dhoni. He continued playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2021 but was released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the 2022 season.

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"It has been an absolute honour to represent my country & state UP. I would like to announce my retirement from all formats of cricket," Raina tweeted while thanking the BCCI, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association and CSK.

Raina needed to retire from all forms of cricket to participate in overseas leagues because an active India or domestic player isn't allowed to participate in international competitions. He could also be seen in Cricket South Africa's next T20 tournament, which will feature six teams owned by IPL franchises, including CSK, and will take place the following year.

Raina played his last competitive game in October 2021 when he turned up for CSK against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi. As an India player, Raina played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20s. He was part of the World Cup winning squad in 2011.

Meanwhile, fans reacted to Raina retiring from all forms of the game, with most users questioning why the veteran all-rounder did not mention former skipper MS Dhoni, in his thank you note on Twitter. Dhoni and Raina shared an extremely close bond both as players of Team India and Chennai Super Kings.

Dhoni and Raina, dubbed Thalaiva and Chinna Thala, respectively, were CSK veterans but reports of a rift emerged in 2020. However, the all-rounder took to Instagram in 2021 to put all the rumours to bed. In the photo, Raina, who was gearing up for IPL 2021, was checking out the CSK skipper's bat. The dynamic left-hander also described the bond between the two with a lovely caption. Raina wrote, "Not always eye to eye, but always heart to heart! 💛💛 @mahi7781 @chennaiipl."

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However, fans have brought speculations of a possible rift back to the forefront since Raina's retirement note on Twitter did not have Dhoni's name mentioned. Here's a look at some of the fan reactions on Twitter:

(With inputs from PTI)